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Before I start this blog, let me make this clear: I love Austin and I love Austin City Limits Music Festival. If I get to live in this city for the rest of my life and go to ACL every year, I will be beyond happy.  Having said that, God help me, I want to be in Chicago right now.

I bought my 3-day pass to ACL way back in November, long before the lineup was announced. When the list was finally posted in May, I got really excited. How could I not? The National? Grace Potter and the Nocturnals? Broken Bells? Awesome, awesome and awesome. Then I made the mistake of checking out Lollapalooza’s lineup. ACL, I love you and can’t wait for you to come, but Lolla puts you to shame. I don’t really have the means or the time to attend Lolla this year; I’m too busy visiting snowball stands and writing blogs here at Sweet Leaf. Therefore I’m going to have to be a little sad this coming August 6^th, 7^th and 8^th.

However there is something you, the reader and Lolla attendee, can do to help. While at Lolla, go to the shows that I’m most sad about missing, and while you’re there, focus really hard. Maybe all the fun and awesomeness you’re experiencing will somehow travel to me all the way in Austin, Texas. Vicarious experiences are better than no experiences at all.

So if you’re nice enough and valiant enough to help me out in this endeavor, here are the bands you need to see:

Deer Tick- I’m not usually a big country fan, but these guys are amazing. Try listening to “Smith Hill” without getting chills down your spine when the chorus starts. Lead singer John McCauley is an incredible songwriter and a really engaging personality. Definitely a must-see.

Erykah Badu-I saw Erykah at ACL two years ago and she blew the roof off. She was really pregnant and opted out of the costume theme that her band had, wearing instead a smiley face t-shirt and sweat pants, but she still had more energy than almost anyone at that entire festival. She is the essence of cool, and if you’re not familiar with her music, go for her hair alone. She can pull of some ‘dos that no one else would even try.

Mumford & Sons- Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons’ debut album is probably my favorite album of the year so far. They take folk rock to the extreme and create gorgeous soaring melodies. I dare you to find someone who can pack as much emotion into a song as Marcus Mumford does in “I Gave You All.” The pain I feel for not being able to see them is almost equal to the pain the band puts in their lyrics (“Weep for yourself, my man, you’ll never be what is in your heart.” Ouch).

Lady Gaga- Why? I think the better question is why not? I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of her songs. “Alejandro” is pretty catchy, but I’m not that big on any of her others. Nonetheless, it’s impossible for that show to be anything but crazy. She’s such a strange person and she comes up with the weirdest stuff (did you see her Kermit the Frog dress?). You will definitely walk away from that concert with some stories to tell.

Arcade Fire- This band is at the top of my list. I wasn’t able to make it to ACL three years ago when they performed, and still regret it. I have never heard from anyone—friend, acquaintance or critic—that did not recognize Arcade Fire’s live performance as amazing. I’ve heard the words “religious experience” more than once. They put so much into every song and their sound is always unique. This is certainly a performance that you can’t miss.

So those are the highlights. When you’re at Lollapalooza early next month, make sure you go to those shows and while you’re there, send those psychic vibes my way. I’ll do the same for you when ACL comes around.

One of the perks of working at a cool Austin company is discovering other cool Austin companies. This happened today when we took a trip to Baltimore Ballers,  a brand new snowball stand located at East 6th Street and Waller Street. Baltimore Ballers not only makes delicious snowballs; they use Sweet Leaf Tea. That’s right. In addition to all of the delicious snowball syrups that the owners make themselves, they use our very own tea for some serious slushy action.

When we visited the trailer today, we met with Drew Schlegel, one of the owners who is originally from Baltimore (hence the name). In addition to the Sweet Leaf, Drew let us try a special snowball flavor originating from Baltimore–egg cream with marshmallow topping. Whatever your first reaction to this is, don’t knock it til you try it. It’s seriously delicious and crazy refreshing on a hot Austin day.

So if you’re near Austin and want something to cool you down, meet Drew and buy a snowball. Not only is it delicious; it’s also very sustainable with all natural syrups and compostable cups and spoons. So what are you waiting for?

Check out Sweet Leaf TV soon for our video at Baltimore Ballers. It might just be the “coolest” thing you do all day.

 

 

As the 4th of July approaches, I get more and more excited as it is the one day a year that it is perfectly acceptable to play with fire and eat your body weight in barbecue. Here at Sweet Leaf, we know that you can’t very well do one without the other and expect to have the greatest 4th of July EVER! So, Sweet Leaf Harrison and myself have found the sweetest spots around the country to celebrate our nations independence and found some great barbecue recipes and party ideas that will take your 4th of July to the next level! So, we’ll get started with a bang as we countdown the sweetest places in the country to play with fire.

At number three, we’ve got the Queen Mary July 4th Celebration & Fireworks Show in Long Beach, CA where party goers can dance the night away in the nightclubs that are throughout the ship with DJ’s and live performances. If you’re celebrating this spectacular holiday accordingly, feel confident and free to unleash your musical talents at the karaoke bar. And those feelin’ really classy this 4th of July can purchase the Queen Mary VIP pass, which includes a 4-level pool party with a VIP daybed lounge, open bar and a dinner buffet. Oh! I almost forgot to mention…it’s the best view of one of the largest fireworks shows in all of California!

At number two, we’ve got the 37th annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, which takes place in (you guessed it) Boston, MA, right over the Charles River to be exact! This year’s show will feature awesome fireworks, church bells and howitzer cannons, plus musical performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra & country music artist Toby Keith.

And finally at number one, we’ve got the one and only Macy’s Fireworks Show that takes place over the Hudson River in New York City. This fireworks show features more than 40,000 shells that explode at a rate of 1,500 shells per minute (That’s an InSaNe amount of fireworks!!!) Not only that, but the sparks reach to 1,000 feet in the air making this show visible for miles! The greatest part of this show (which is its trademark) is its “Golden Mile”, which is a shower of golden sparks that stretch for a mile across the river! As if that weren’t awesome enough, but this year’s show will have an extra mile of sparks that will shower down in shades of green and red! Ahhh America!

These are just a few of the best shows around the country, and if you’re here hangin’ out in Sweet Leaf country definitely check out the largest fireworks show in Austin–the H-E-B Austin Symphony 4th of July Concert & Fireworks show over Lady Bird Lake!

What’s your favorite place to watch fireworks?

Aloha all you Sweet Leaf junkies!

I’m Kamie (pronounced like Jamie, but with a -K-) and I’m a new summer intern here at Sweet Leaf. As I am “the new chick” and I’m entering a world of very dedicated fans, please allow me to introduce myself.

I’m from Canadian…Texas that is. A cozy little town tucked in the corner of nowhere! Or more formally put, the Panhandle. As crazy isolated as it is, it truly does have a place in my heart, however, Austin is the place I call home. How did this happen? To tell you the truth I really have no idea. I kind of just woke up one morning, threw my clothes in the trunk of my car and here I am!

It’s funny to me that as exotic as Canadian isn’t, I still get pleasant reminders of it in this super eccentric city. When asked during my job interview why I chose to apply at Sweet Leaf, I couldn’t help but think of the first time I ever tried the product. For the record it was Sweet Leaf Original and the first sip took me straight back to being a little kid running around the swimming pool, reeking of Bull Frog sunscreen and lemon juiced hair, sippin’ down my moms sweetened sun tea! Who wouldn’t want a daily reminder of that!

Hey ya’ll!  My name is Sarah, and just like Sweet Leaf Tea, I was born and raised in Texas.  I grew up in Houston, not far from Sweet Leaf Tea’s birthplace of Beaumont.  Austin became my home in 2007 when I started college at The University of Texas (hook ‘em!).  I immediately fell in love with this city.  Austin has a character that no other place can rival, and Sweet Leaf epitomizes that uniqueness.

Austin has inspired me to explore my creative side, and this internship has provided me with the perfect outlet.  As Sweet Leaf interns, we are encouraged to be innovative and expressive by posting on this blog and producing videos for Sweet Leaf TV.

Living in such an active city has also pushed me physically to places I never thought I could reach.  Whether I am running Town Lake, kayaking, or swimming at Barton Springs…this city is an epicenter for physical activities.  I love that Sweet Leaf Tea is all natural, and the perfect compliment for this lifestyle.

The laid back atmosphere, the cute dogs, and the unending amounts of tea are wonderful perks to working at Sweet Leaf Tea, but not what keeps me coming back everyday.  I feel lucky to be working with a product that I truly enjoy; for a company that appreciates the Austin community, the environment, and a little originality; with amazing people; in a city that I love.

You can also follow our intern-antics on twitter @sweetleafintern.

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